NC State’s Simmons Headed to NBA?

With no one in charge of the N.C. State program after coach Herb Sendek’s departure for Arizona State, sophomore C Cedric Simmons declared for the NBA draft without debate. Simmons already was being contacted by agents before Sendek left. Don’t expect him to return to the Wolfpack.

IMHO, this would be a mistake. Simmons showed quite a bit of potential this past year, with the highlight being his head to head with Duke’s Sheldon Williams. Simmons is 6’9″, but boasts a wingspan of 7’4″. He is long, lean and athletic, and was just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. With the draft being a little “shallow” this year, it may help his draft status a little, but nowhere near as much as another season with the continued improvement he showed between his freshman and sophomore seasons. Cedric appears to be a good kid, so if he does make the jump, we wish him the best.

FWIW, NBADraft.net has Simmons listed as the 13th pick for the New Orleans/Oklahoma City/Insert City Name Here Hornets